But long before he released a long list of action-packed films aimed at teenagers, Arkoff was a Fort Dodge Senior High School student who frequented the local theaters.

The Webster County Historical Society is preparing to highlight the movie producer from Fort Dodge with an event on Friday at which one of his films, “Beach Blanket Bingo,” will be shown.

Items from the Historical Society’s collection related to Arkoff will be displayed. Society members will discuss the movie producer’s local connection.

The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Fort Dodge Public Library by the City Square.

Samuel Z. Arkoff

“Beach Blanket Bingo” was released in 1965. It stars Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Linda Evans. Don Rickles and Buster Keaton co-star.

Arkoff was born in Fort Dodge on June 18, 1918. He graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in 1935. During World War II he served as a cryptographer in the Army Air Force.

After the war, he moved to California, where he graduated from Loyola Law School.

He started his Hollywood career doing legal work for film companies. In 1954, he co-founded American Releasing Corp. The company was formed to release movies made by other studios, but it was quickly renamed American International Pictures and began producing movies of its own.

The company’s first film was “The Fast and the Furious” a movie about fast cars which debuted more than 50 years before Vin Diesel and his crew ever hot-wired a car in the current film series with a very similar name.

American International Pictures had a long string of profitable movies through the 1950s and 1960s.

Stars like Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolte and Bruce Dern appeared in the company’s films. Michael Landon of “Little House on the Prairie” fame played the monster in “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” in 1957.

Arkoff died in 2001.

If You Go

What: Webster County Historical Society event dedicated to Samuel Z. Arkoff, featuring the movie “Beach Blanket Bingo”

When: 1:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Fort Dodge Public Library

People are encouraged to RSVP to webcntyhistscty@gmail.com. People can bring their own snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.